


Near Miss

by lea_hazel



Series: Rabbaroo Cafe [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop, Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, F/F, Flirting, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-22
Updated: 2013-02-22
Packaged: 2017-12-03 06:02:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/694998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lea_hazel/pseuds/lea_hazel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra finds out something about Asami and Mako gets involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Near Miss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EllieMurasaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieMurasaki/gifts).



Asami came in every morning that week at around the same time. Every day Korra smiled at her and chatted with her and watched her leave the shop with a little sigh. Bolin watched her with hands on his hips, tutting.

"You're not my grandmother," Korra said to him one morning right after Asami left, pushing the glass door open with her shoulder and balancing two cup trays and a box of mini-pies.

He patted her shoulder. "But I'm your friend, Korra," he said. "Pining isn't healthy."

She rounded on him and poked him in the chest with an accusatory finger. "Why the sudden interest in matchmaking?"

Bolin rubbed his neck and looked at the ceiling. "No reason."

"Yeah," said Korra. "Sure."

"Look," said Bolin, shrugging. "You're a young, pretty girl alone in the big city. She's a young, pretty girl alone in the big city."

"She might not be alone," she pointed out. "She could have a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend."

" _Alone_ ," said Bolin again, punctuating with his hands, "in the _big city_. There's no reason why you shouldn't hook up. It's perfect!"

"Why don't you ask her out, then?" asked Korra.

"I've seen the way she looks at you," he said. "No way is she hitching a ride to Bo-land, and I can't take a second rejection in one week."

"That's right!" she said. "Your date with whatshername last night. I take it the evening didn't go as planned?"

He slapped her shoulder. "Stop changing the subject!"

Korra made a face at him.

"My point is," Bolin plowed on, "wear a nicer shirt for your shift tomorrow, and do something with your hair."

Korra tugged at her side-braids self-consciously. "Tomorrow's Saturday," she said.

"So?"

She rolled her eyes. "She comes in every morning with an order for eight people. Obviously she's someone's assistant or intern or something, and they have her bring coffee for the morning staff meetings. Or whatever."

Bolin's face fell, briefly. "Monday morning," he said, poking her shoulder. "Your blue shirt with the swirls and the cleavage."

Korra made another face. "You know way too much about my wardrobe."

Later that day Mako showed up, straight from his shift at the factory, to replace them. "Good news, Korra," he said as he tied on his apron. "The foreman said I could have a night shift next week. You don't have to wake up at six anymore."

"Wow, yeah," said Korra. "That's, uh, great news."

Bolin looked like his puppy had just died. Korra put her arm around his shoulder comfortingly and together they walked back to their apartment in the drizzle. Korra spent the rest of the afternoon trying to do the reading for her Monday afternoon class, but she couldn't seem to focus. One of the perks of working at a cafe was taking home big bags of discount tea leaves, so she brewed a pot of jasmine green tea.

"You put too much sugar in your tea," said Bolin sulkily.

"Whatever's gotten into your bonnet," said Korra, "I'm too tired for it. Do you have a shift tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "Maybe I'll go down to the arena. You coming with? "

Korra shrugged. "It's my last morning shift. I guess I'll sleep in extra on Sunday."

"Anyway," said Bolin, "I should get dinner ready. Mako's gonna be exhausted when he gets in."

On Saturday morning Korra barely woke up on time for work. Mako had to grab her by the shoulder and shake her. Reluctantly, she left her warm nest of blankets on the couch and fished around for a clean shirt.

"We need to do a laundry," she said, in between yawns. "How is it that you work two jobs now and you still woke up before I did?"

"Practice," said Mako. He picked up her shoes one by one and threw them across the living room.

"Ow," said Korra plaintively, although she'd managed to catch both before they hit her head.

"Let's get going," he pressed. "You know Iroh likes to open early on the weekend."

"Which is insane!" said Korra. "Who wakes up early on a Saturday unless they're, uh, _us_?"

But the Rabbaroo was already full when they came in, even though it wasn't even nine AM. Korra groaned internally when Mako elbowed her in the ribs, but she followed him behind the counter where they silently accepted their aprons from a blank-faced, but clearly furious Iroh.

"This isn't like you, Mako," he muttered on his way into the kitchen.

"Seriously," Korra started complaining in a whisper as soon as he was out of earshot. "Who, except us, is miserable enough to have to work on a Saturday morning?"

"Turn around," said Mako.

"Oh," said Korra. "Uh, hi, Asami."

"Working on a Saturday," said Asami, smiling crookedly.

"Wow, that sucks," said Korra.

"It's a really good internship," said Asami, "so it's worth it. Here." She handed her the note with her order.

"Have a nice day!" said Korra as she was picking up the cup trays. "Hope you don't have to work _too_ late."

Asami smiled and tried to wave, but her hands were too full.

"So," said Mako. "That's the Asami that Bolin has been going on about all week?"

Korra mumbled and scratched the back of her neck.

"Pretty," said Mako. "Did you recognize her immediately?"

"Recognize?" asked Korra.

"I'll show you during break," he said.

When the shop cleared up a little, he made them both hot cocoa and pulled a rolled up magazine out of the corner newspaper rack. Korra felt like questioning him about why he was reading a gossip rag, but then she noticed the photo spread he was pointing at. It pictured Asami in a strapless lavender gown on the arm of an older man. She felt something very like a heavy stone sinking deep in her stomach, pulling her down.

"Read the caption," said Mako.

' _Industrialist Hiroshi Sato and daughter, Asami, at the Children's Education Foundation benefit gala_.'  

[](http://oi50.tinypic.com/339orr6.jpg)   
Click to embiggen. 


End file.
